Functional Behavior Assessment: Gaining Information to Guide Treatment Planning. Robert Shapiro, Ph.D., BCBA-D Devereux Massachusetts

Transcription

1 Functional Behavior Assessment: Gaining Information to Guide Treatment Planning Robert Shapiro, Ph.D., BCBA-D Devereux Massachusetts

2 Functional Behavior Assessment A systematic method of assessment for obtaining information about the purposes (functions) a problem behavior serves for a person; results are used to guide the design of an intervention for decreasing the problem behavior and increasing appropriate behavior. Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007, p. 696)

3 What is Behavior? the behavior of an organism is that portion of an organism s interaction with the environment that is characterized by detectable displacement in space through time of some part of the organism and that results in measurable change in at least one aspect of the environment Johnston & Pennypacker (1980, 1993) The dead man s test

4 How do we define behavior? Operational Definition: sufficiently accessible, so that persons other than the definer may independently measure or test for them at will. A good definition is: Objective; it refers only to what is observable Clear; it is readable and unambiguous Complete; the boundaries of the definition are delineated Without a good operational definition, we can t be sure everyone is measuring the same thing (or responding consistently)

5 Topography vs. Function Topography What behavior looks like Function What effect behavior has on the environment What is H2O? What would you like to drink?

6 Functions (Maintaining Variables) of Behavior Attention Escape/Avoidance Tangibles Sensory

7 These Variables Apply To: Our students Adaptive Behavior Maladaptive Behavior Ourselves Adaptive Behavior Maladaptive Behavior Function of Behavior.docx The Automaticity of Reinforcement

8 Positive/Negative Reinforcement as Function Positive Reinforcement Negative Reinforcement Social (attention) Tangible (items) Social (escape) Automatic (pain attenuation) Automatic (sensory stimulation)

9 Why Conduct a Functional Assessment? The information is valuable in building effective behavioral support Interventions developed without a functional assessment may make interfering behavior worse

10 Functional Assessment Methods Indirect Methods Record Review Interviews Checklists & Rating Scales Direct Methods Naturalistic Observation Analogue Assessment Systematic Manipulation

11 Record Review Review formulation, presentation, interventions, and recommendations Mine the record for maintaining variables that may have been overlooked in previous assessments

12 Interviews Structured ADI-R Semi-structured Functional Assessment Interview (FAI) Unstructured Interviews can include the individual & significant others Identify list of potential target behaviors What and when Avoid why Move from general to specific Identify primary concerns Determine participation

13 Checklists & Rating Scales Questions about topography of behavior and/or conditions under which behavior in question is likely to occur Typically Likert-scale assessments Ask about antecedents and consequences Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS) Durand & Crimmins

14 Indirect Methods What they provide: An efficient way to gather data Information on behavior that is not immediately observable Concerns: Cross-informant correlation Response bias Situational specificity The aggregation principle

15 Direct Methods Naturalistic Observation Analogue Assessment Systematic Manipulation

16 Naturalistic Observation Observing a behavior as it occurs naturally and recording data without intervening. Designed to be as unobtrusive as possible. Advantages: Low level of interference Allows for identification of potential maintaining variables Disadvantages: Behavior may occur in unavailable contexts Behavior may occur unpredictably Reactivity

17 Analogue Assessment Artificially created environment or situation Reflects how an individual might respond in a real-life situation Role plays Preference assessments Advantages Greater control of variables Less subject to scheduling constraints Disadvantages Does not necessarily reveal how a person will react in the natural environment

18 Systematic Manipulation Person is exposed to multiple variables These variables are manipulated systematically to determine what effect this has on behavior Advantages: MORE DEFINITIVE than other components of functional assessment Disadvantages: MORE RESTRICTIVE than other components of functional assessment Functional Assessment vs. Functional Analysis

19 Summary Statements Detailed description of: Antecedents to maladaptive behavior Maladaptive behavior Events following maladaptive behavior Which leads to: A hypothesis regarding maintaining variables Interventions consistent with that hypothesis

20 Barrier Behavior Pathway Setting Event Antecedent Barrier Behavior Maintaining Consequence

21 Competing Behavior Pathway Setting Event Antecedent Barrier Behavior Competing Behavior Maintaining Consequence Setting Event Accommodations Antecedent Accommodations Adaptive Behavior Maintaining Consequence

22 The Rationale for Functional Assessment Behavioral interventions must be tailored to the function of behavior Interventions that fail to take into account the function of the behavior may be: Ineffective Counterproductive Overly restrictive

23 After the Functional Assessment Interventions must match the results of the functional assessment Continued data collection is critical to determine if an intervention is effective

24 Elements to Include in a Plan of Approach Results of the assessment, including a hypothesis Behaviors to increase Antecedents Behaviors to decrease Data collection

25 Assessment Results What skills does the person have? What about likes and dislikes? Psychiatric/medication information Maladaptive behavior in question When are these maladaptive behaviors occurring? Hypothesis as to function Plan of approach based on this hypothesis

26 Behaviors to Increase Fair Pair rule Behavior that REPLACES maladaptive behavior OR Behavior that REDUCES the likelihood of maladaptive behavior Strategies for increasing these behaviors REINFORCEMENT Rationale (why we have behaviors to increase)

27 Antecedents A list of things that make it more likely maladaptive behavior will occur Can include both stimulus and setting events Strategies for how to avoid antecedent situations and/or what to do when they arise

28 Behaviors to Decrease Maladaptive behavior in question Strategies for decreasing this behavior Least restrictive treatment model Differential reinforcement procedures Extinction procedures Punishment procedures Positive Punishment Negative Punishment Rationale for least restrictive treatment model

29 Data Collection Tailored to the target behavior(s) in question Includes behaviors to increase and decrease As detailed as possible without being unwieldy

30 Data Collection Critical to gaining objective information regarding how much the behavior in question is occurring Necessary to design effective treatment strategies and evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies

31 Methods of Collecting Data Direct Measures Rate/Frequency Duration Latency Interresponse Time Indirect Measures Time Sampling Whole Interval Partial Interval Momentary Time Sample

32 Rate/Frequency How many times a behavior in question occurs Sometimes expressed as times per minute, hour, or day Used to measure free operants Used with behavior that does not occur for an extended period of time

33 Duration The amount of time that behavior occurs Total per session Duration per occurrence Use for behavior that has a clear onset and offset Use for behavior that occurs for extended periods of time

34 Latency The elapsed time between the onset of a stimulus and the initiation of a response Use for behavior that is time-sensitive Use for building tolerance

35 Interresponse Time The amount of time that elapses between responses Functionally related to rate of response Use when the time between responses is important

36 Time Sampling Observation period is divided into equal intervals, and behavior is marked as present or absent Whole interval Behavior must occur for the entire interval to be marked as present Yields an underestimate of behavior Partial interval If behavior is present at any point during the interval it is marked as present Yields an overestimate of behavior Momentary time sample If behavior occurs at the end of the interval (at that moment) it is marked as present Can yield an overestimate or underestimate of behavior

37 A Behavioral Plan of Approach Seeks to make maladaptive behavior: Less effective Less efficient Less relevant This CAN T BE DONE with precision unless it s based on a functional assessment

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